It is Summertime - Keep the Magic Kingdom Open Late Every Night

[MKCP 1985]

Raise your hand if you remember "the old days" when from the first of June until the end of August, the Magic Kingdom was open until midnight or 1:00 a.m. (or even later) every night to all guests. Remember those days? When I was a kid, I remember thinking it was the coolest thing to be getting on the Haunted Mansion during the midnight hour and hanging out in Tomorrowland until the rides closed around 1:00 a.m. That last half hour was the only time all day you could get on a ride without a monstrous wait, and only when it got late did the heat and humidity let up a bit!

When I was a little older, I worked the summer closing shifts on the outdoor foods popcorn wagons for a time. There were two parades sandwiched around fireworks every night, and once the sun went down there was never a break (except actually during the parades and fireworks) until I closed it down. There was never any leftover popcorn!

I'm feeling nostalgic for the late night Magic Kingdom summer experience. Some of today's kids are missing out on a special late night experience. According to the posted hours at disney.com, the Magic Kingdom never stays open to all guests as late as midnight all summer long, except for two days around the Fourth of July. Yeah, three nights per week, there are extra magic hours for WDW resort guests. I'm hurting for the kids who don't get to stay at a company hotel.

Some things just seem a natural fit: peanut butter and jelly, cake and ice cream and THE MAGIC KINGDOM and LATE SUMMER NIGHTS! Bring back the night!

 

[WDWKat26]

Honestly, I totally believe that it would be a good idea for the parks to be open late. BUT, i'm going to defend my fellow CM's as to the situation which is going on right now. A lot of us are overworked, stressed, and need some time off. Full Timers are working at their Maximum (I have friends working 70-80 hours), and some are on MANDATORY overtime. College Program CM's hours are capped, so they can only get so many per week. That dumps the rest of the hours on people like me who are part time and working up to 60 hours per week. A lot of departments are EXTREMELY short right now, and I know some people might say "Well that's Disney's fault" but it's really not. I honestly don't know what i'd do if the parks were open till 1am or something, and i'd have to wake up and go back to work at 7am the next morning. I honestly feel so bad for my friends right now who are working 7-15 (Yes, 15) days in a row and are flat out exhausted.

I'm not trying to be Debbie Downer here, but i've seen a lot of posts on here about why the park hours aren't longer right now. Personally, it would be cool to have longer park hours, but things are SO busy right now I don't think it's possible. Just my $.02.

 

[PlaneJane]

i reallyyyyyyy don't think the CMs would like that

 

[TP2000]

Disneyland stays open until Midnight seven days a week during the summer months. Why couldn't Magic Kingdom Park at WDW do that too?

 

[MKCP 1985]

As you can tell from my username, I am a former CP - there was no cap on hours when I worked the CP in 85 or as a CT in 86. I would rack up overtime, which was needed since you know that weekly check usually made it 6 days and not 7. :lol: I remember many nights not getting out of the cast member parking lot before 2:00 - 2:30 a.m.

So things change - I get that. If the labor force can't handle getting enough Disney quality cast members, then . . . what can you do? It seems to me there is enough paid park attendance to support the extra hours if you can hire and schedule enough cast members to work the hours.

 

[mickey04]

It seems if CMs are as overworked as it sounds, it's time for some aggressive hiring. If no one wants to apply, they're gonna have to pay higher wages (those CMs deserve it after all). If Disney were to raise their wages (and they can obviously afford to), they could keep the parks open later and not overwork everyone (and not resort to hiring 15 year olds), resulting in a happier cast and more pleasurable guest experience. It's a win-win situation.

Of course I realize none of that is likely to happen, but it makes sense, doesn't it?

 

[Robfasto]

I remember those days, it brought back great memories during the Extra Magic Hours while there a couple of weeks ago being in the Magic Kingdom until 2 AM that night.

I also remember the park staying open until 1 AM between Christmas and New Years and other nights throughout the year. Which made for great day trips up from our home in Miami.

 

[CaptainMichael]

A couple of weeks ago it was open till 2 am on an Evening Extra Magic Hour. I've been in the Magic Kingdom as late as 3:30 am on Grad Nite.

 

[WDWKat26]

It seems if CMs are as overworked as it sounds, it's time for some aggressive hiring. If no one wants to apply, they're gonna have to pay higher wages (those CMs deserve it after all). If Disney were to raise their wages (and they can obviously afford to), they could keep the parks open later and not overwork everyone (and not resort to hiring 15 year olds), resulting in a happier cast and more pleasurable guest experience. It's a win-win situation.

Of course I realize none of that is likely to happen, but it makes sense, doesn't it?

Yeah it makes sense, but it's definitely not going to happen. Disney has been aggressively hiring, they've been holding tons of job fairs and everything. Plus they've been offering premiums for specific roles. MKCP, I know the CP's hours are capped, I was told they are not allowed more than 45 and that's what I was told today.

 

[KSdisneydad]

I wonder why it was open until Midnight every night last week 6/5 to 6/11 when we were down for our annual trip? It was even open until 2:00 a.m. one night due to extra magic hours. My 10, 7 and 3 year old boys were all there past mid-night one evening. Although it does get tiring for a vacation when you do it with little ones.

 

[CAPTAIN HOOK]

I'm pretty sure that it couldn't be that hard to re-arrange CMs working days and to employ more staff (full and part time) to achieve longer summer hours. After all, with all the $$ that Disney rakes in each day, if that were used to finance more staff then problem solved :king:

 

[crazydaveh]

I'After all, with all the $$ that Disney rakes in each day, if that were used to finance more staff then problem solved :king:

Yes, the park brings in money each day, but they also spend it too. I was there with a friend who owns his own business (medium sized about 1,200 workers) and he was going on and on about the cost to run the park. He was giving us examples of how much he really makes on a large deal, after all the money he has to spend is gone, it's not as much as you think!

Now, don't start blasting me yet! I would like to see the hours extended. I enjoy the later hours. Many of the families are back at the hotels then and you have more room for fun! I hate going in the winter and having to leave at 7 PM. I see both sides to it, but they do have to close down and get the park ready for the next day!

 

[peter11435]

I'm pretty sure that it couldn't be that hard to re-arrange CMs working days and to employ more staff (full and part time) to achieve longer summer hours. After all, with all the $$ that Disney rakes in each day, if that were used to finance more staff then problem solved :king:

The problem is with the very low unemployment rate in the area. And if you examine a Disney annual Report you will see that most of the money the parks and resorts bring in every day is needed just to operate every day.

 

[DisneyDellsDude]

I hope that the Magic Kingdom will stay open later. The parks are more magical at night.

 

[Thelazer]

It's NOT a problem with a low unemployment rate. It's a problem of too many people in Florida know they get better pay and treatment elsewhere. Why do you think that most people, who work at Disney, are not from Central Florida but rather moved from some other state to work there? They did not know better, they did not know what 99% of people who live and work in central Florida now know.

Again, I must stress that it does not need to be this way. I think, that after this summer of low staff we might just see some changes for the better.

 

[se8472]

Most of Orlando has a job shortage....its just not that easy to hire people when there isn't anyone to hire, or who want to work for the company.

As for redoing hours, everyone's hours are redone everyweek.

There really are a lot more reasons the parks don't stay open to late anymore, its just for the best.

 

[Number_6]

I left Disney back in January, but after a few months of trying to find work a little closer to my home, I'm seriously considering going back and seeing if I can get back in, maybe in attractions or someplace other than Resort Dispatch, which I had done previously. When working in some areas, you can get cross trained on other areas that might need the extra help. With Resort Dispatch, you are locked into the place you are working and if there is no overtime available(which I wanted overtime and couldn't really get it) then you weren't allowed to go to other areas.

 

[MKCP 1985]

MKCP, I know the CP's hours are capped, I was told they are not allowed more than 45 and that's what I was told today.

Kat, I'm not disputing what you say. I said before that I get the fact things change, but that cap wasn't in place back 100 years ago when I was on the college program. I could get 60 plus hours during the busiest parts of the summer with no problem. Of course, work conditions are much better for CPs now. CPs don't all work only the closing shifts anymore and CPs don't live in a trailer park called "Snow White Village" now either. Wait a minute - I've been played! :lol: :lol: :lol:

None of this changes the FACT the Magic Kingdom is more magical after dark, less crowded after the fireworks and the late hours every night of summer were great for park guests. I'd love to see them return for the sake of all of today's guests - not just the resort guests 3 nights per week.

 

[schroder6452]

It sounds nice for guests, but it really would not be too fun working till then constantly as a CP. Last night during Mk EMH till 2am I had more than a few guests comment to me on how the late hours were nice but how it must tiring for me to be there till that late.

 

[OliveMcFly]

OMG! I remember getting back to our resort at like 2am when I was little. It was great. We would get so much more done with longer hours.